Ishaan is 8 years old. His world is full of wonders like kites, dogs, colours and fish, but to his dismay they are just not important for adults, who want him to be interested in boring stuff like homework, marks and cleanliness. And so for them Ishaan just cannot get anything right.

Finally his parents cannot handle him, and Ishaan is packed off to a boarding school `to be disciplined'. But things are worse here - the teachers are similar to those back home, and Ishaan misses his family.

And then Ishaan meets the new Art teacher, Ram Shankar Nikumbh, who breaks the rules of how things are done, and asks the children to think, to dream, yes, even to imagine. All the children respond with enthusiasm - but Ishaan does not.

Ram decides that Ishaan is not abnormal but special. With time, patience and care, he helps Ishaan discover himself and his potential.

And so after a father who according to Ishaan `gets angry when my teachers complain, and thinks going to a boarding school will teach discipline,' his mother who cares for him but thinks that `boarding school will be for his good', an elder brother who is a genius and wins lots of prizes and looks after him and teachers who think he misbehaves and put red marks all over his books, Ishaan finds Nikumbh sir very different. In his words, "He likes the same things that I do and taught me many new things that are also fun. When I grow up I want to be like Nikumbh sir." Of course there is also Rajan, Ishaan's clever and always helpful best buddy.

Taare Zameen Par is Aamir Khan's gift to every child with a powerful message film for parents and a compassionate look at special children like dyslexics. Conceived, researched and edited by Deepa Bhatia and written by Amole Gupte who is also its creative director, the film is produced and directed by Aamir Khan with music by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy. Prasoon Joshi writes the lyrics.

The film stars Aamir Khan, Darsheel Safary as Ishaan, Tanay Cheda, Sachet Engineer, Tisca Chopra and Vipin Sharma.